Spring-driven tool

ABSTRACT

A tool for rapidly rotating threaded fastenings such as machine screws and nuts, utilizing a spring as a power source for revolving the fastening engaging part of the tool. A detent automatically locks the part driven by the spring against rotation while applying torque manually to the tool for initially loosening a fastening or for effecting the final tightening of a fastening. A manually actuated release member disengages the detent from its locking position to permit the fastening engaging part to be revolved by the spring.

Unite {72] inventors Peter D Sciascia 3 Parkview Road, Woburn, Mass. 01801; Sing C. Chin, 22 Muriel Road, Chelmsford, Mass. 01824 {21] Appl. No. 820,187 {22] Filed Apr. 29, 1969 [45} Patented Aug. 24,1971

{541 SPRINGDRIVEN TOOL 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

{52] U.S. Cl 145/66, 77/17, 145/50 R, 145/61 R, 185/39 [51] lnLCl 825g 1/00, 1325b 21/00 [50] Field 0! Smrch 145/66,50; 144/32; 81/58.1,54;77/17; l85/39,43,44; 46/84; 15/167 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,173,032 2/1916 Reiche 15/167R 1,294,917 2/1919 Koontz 46/84 2,189,763 2/1940 Schimpfle 46/84 929,465 7/1909 McGregor 77/17 FORElGN PATENTS 315,928 11/1919 Germany 145/50 R 152,033 10/1955 Sweden 145/50 R Primary Examiner- Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Michael Koczo, Jr. ArlorneyJ0hn N Randolph FIGJ.

PATENIEU AUG24|97| 3.601.170

ATTORNEY It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a tool which can be effectively employed for rapidly rotating small threaded fastenings in inaccessible locations without manually turning a handle portion of the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool having a fastening engaging element which is rotatably driven by spring power and which element can be latched immovably to a handle of the tool whereby manual torque can be imparted to the tool handlefor turning said element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool having novel means to accomplish a rapid rewinding of the spring power source.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal, substantially central sectional view, partly in elevation, of the spring-driven tool;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the tool taken substantially long a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view taken substantially along a plane corresponding to the plane of FIG. 2 and illustrating a different position of certain of the parts;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the tool, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

stern and socket connection 35, asseen in FIG. 3.'The button 34 is disposed externally of the cap 30 and is spaced from the collar 33 a sufficient distance for a limited sliding movement of the pin 32 in the bore 28 and opening 31.

The handle 11 is provided with an elongated chamber 36 extending between the handle ends 12 and 13, through which FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary side elevational views'illus- I trating alternate parts capable of substitution for a part of the tool as illustrated in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically to the drawing, the springdriven tool in its entirety is designated generally 10 and includes an elongated, preferably cylindrical handle 11 having a front end wall 12 and a rear end wall 13. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the handle 11 is preferably composed of two longitudinal halves 14 and 15 which may be secured together in any suitable manner, as by screw fastening l6, Pins 17 projecting from he section 14 may be provided to engage sockets 18 in a section 15 to align bores 19 to receive the fastenings 16.

The handle ends 12 and 13 have axially aligned bores 20 and 21, respectively, to provide journals for a shaft 22 which extends longitudinally through the handle. The handle end 12 is of substantial thickness, as seen in FIG. 1, and is provided with a cylindrical chamber 23 concentrically disposed relative to the bore 20 to rotatively receive a hub 24 which is fixed to a part of the shaft 22. The hub 24 is provided with four equally spaced radial bores 25 which open outwardly of the periphery thereof, each containing a ball detent 26 and a compression spring 27. The springs 27 are disposed between the detents 26 and a part of the shaft 22 which functions as an abutment for the inner ends of said springs for maintaining the springs compressed for urging the detents 26 outwardly of said bores 25.

The section 14 of the wall 12 has a bore 28 which opens into the chamber 23 and outwardly thereof and which is disposed to align with any one of the bores 25. The handle end 12 has an internally threaded annular boss 29 which is disposed concentrically around the bore 28 to receive an externally threaded cap 30 having a central opening 31 which aligns with the bore 28. A release pin 32 fits slidably in the bore 28 and opening 31 and has a collar 33 fixed thereto and disposed within the cap 30. A head or button 34 is threadedly con nected detachably to the outer end of the pin 32 by a threaded a part of the shaft 22 extends. A spirally wound spring 37 is disposed in the chamber36 around the shaft 32 and has one end anchored to the handle 11, as by a screw fastening 38, and an opposite end 39 which is anchored to the shaft 22. The spring 37 is of the flat ribbon type, such as is employed in conventional window shades, and is capable of being wound in either direction for rotating the shaft 22 in either direction.

A cup-shaped member 40 having a knurled periphery 41 is disposed with its open end fitting rotatably and slidably on the rear end of the handle 11 and has an outer end wall 42 which is spaced outwardly from the rear handle end 13 and which is provided with a central opening 43 in which the rear end por tion of the shaft 22 is turnably and slidably disposed. A head 44 is secured to the rear end of the shaft 22 and normally abuts the outer side of the wall 42. A collar 45 is secured to the shaft 22, between the walls 13 and 42, and a light compression coiled spring 46 is disposed around the shaft 22, between the wall 42 and collar 45, for normally urging the cup member 40 rearwardly of the handle 11 to its position of FIG. 1.

A pinion 47 is fixed to the shaft 22, between the wall 13 and collar 45. A spur gear 48 meshes with the pinion 47 and is carried by a stub shaft 49 which is journaled in the end wall '13. The 'cup member 40 has an internal gear 50 of a size to mesh with the spur gear 48 but which is normally spaced outwardly therefrom, as seen in FIG. 1, when the cup member 40 is held by the spring 46 with its end wall 42 abutting the head 44.

The forward end of the shaft 22 terminates in a restricted stem 51 of noncircular cross section which engages nonrotatubly in a conformably shaped socket 52 which opens outwardly of the rear end of a shank 53, having a Phillips-type bit 54'at its forward end for engaging and turning conventional Phillips-type machine screws, not shown. A shank 55, as seen in FIG. 6, having a conventional screw-driven bit 56, can be substituted for the shank 53, or a shank 57, as seen in FIG. 7,

having a noncircular forward end to receive a conventional socket, not shown, which is capable of engaging and turning a nut when the shaft 22 is revolved, can be utilized in lieu of the shank 53.

One of the detents 26, as it moves into alignment with the bore 28, will be projected outwardly of the hub 24 by its spring 27 and into the inner end of the bore 28 to latch the shaft 22 immovably to the handle 11, and to position the pin 32 in its outwardly projected position of FIG. 2 with the collar 33 abutting the cap 30. In this position, the tool 11 may be employed similar to a conventional screwdriver or wrench for completing the tightening of machine screws or nuts or for initially loosening such screws or nuts, where considerable manual torque is required. For advancing screws or nuts, prior to final tightening or for removing screws or nuts, after initial loosening, assuming that the spring 37 is wound, the operator applies pressure to the button 34 for displacing the release pin 32 inwardly from its position of FIG. 2 to its position of FIG. 3, in which latter position the inner end of the pin 32 is flush with the inner end of the bore 28 to disengage the detent 26 from he bore 28 so that the hub 24 is free to revolve in the chamber 23 with the shaft 22. The shaft 22 will then be revolved rapidly by the power of the spring 37 for turning the bit shank therewith and the fastening engaged thereby.

The spring 37 may be quickly rewound by displacing the cup member 40 inwardly relative to the handle 11, against the action of the spring 46, to engage the gear 50 with the gear 48.

With the release pin 32 held in its detent-releasing position of FIG. 3, the cup member 40 may then be rotated relative to the handle 11, for example, counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 4, for turning the gear 48 in the same direction and the pinion 47 and shaft 42 in the opposite direction or clockwise for rewinding the spring 37. The button 34 is then released to permit one of the detents 26 to return to its position of FIG. 2 for relatching the shaft 22 to the handle 11 and the cup member 40 is released to permit the spring 46 to displace the cup member 40 rearwardly to its position of FIG. 1 for disengaging the gear 50 from the gear 48. The relative sizes of the gears 47, 48 and 50 enable the shaft 22 to be revolved rapidly relative to the rate of rotation of the cup member 40.

Various modifications and change are contemplated and may be resorted to without departing from the function or scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A spring-driven tool for turning threaded fastenings comprising a handle, a shaft journaled in said handle, a fasteningengaging element carried by one end of said shaft, a spirally wound torsion spring disposed around a part of the shaft having one end secured thereto and an opposite end secured to the handle for revolving the shaft and fastening-engaging element relative to the handle, means latching the shaft nonrotatively to the handle, manually actuated means for releasing said latching means, means for rewinding said spring including a part rotatably mounted on the handle, and means connecting said part to the shaft to effect a rapid rotation of shaft shaft relative to the rate of rotation of said part.

2. A tool as in claim 1, a cup-shaped member slidably and tumably mounted on one end of said handle, said cup-shaped member constituting said part of the rewinding means and being provided with an internal gear, a pinion fixed to the shaft beyond said handle end, a spur gear rotatably supported beyond said handle end and meshing with said pinion, said internal gear, spur gear and pinion constituting the means connecting said part to the shaft, and said cup member being slidably movable relative to the handle for moving said internal gear into meshing engagement with the spur gear for effecting the rapid rotation of the shaft relative to the rate of rotation of said cup member.

3. A tool as in claim 1, said latching means comprising a hub fixed to a part of the shaft, said handle having a chamber in which said hub is rotatably mounted, a spring-projected detent slidably mounted in and yieldably urged radially outward of the hub, and said handle having a bore opening into said chamber for receiving said detent in one position of rotation of the hub for latching the hub and shaft nonrotatably to the handle.

4. A tool as in claim 2, and spring means yieldably urging the cup member outwardly of said handle end for normally retaining said internal gear out of engagement with the spur gear.

5. A tool as in claim 3, said manually actuated means comprising a release pin slidably mounted in said bore for displac ing the detent inwardly of the hub and out of engagement with the bore for releasing the hub and shaft from latched engagement with the handle. 

1. A spring-driven tool for turning threaded fastenings comprising a handle, a shaft journaled in said handle, a fastening-engaging element carried by one end of said shaft, a spirally wound torsion spring disposed around a part of the shaft having one end secured thereto and an opposite end secured to the handle for revolving the shaft and fastening-engaging element relative to the handle, means latching the shaft nonrotatively to the handle, manually actuated means for releasing said latching means, means for rewinding said spring including a part rotatably mounted on the handle, and means connecting said part to the shaft to effect a rapid rotation of shaft shaft relative to the rate of rotation of said part.
 2. A tool as in claim 1, a cup-shaped member slidably and turnably mounted on one end of said handle, said cup-shaped member constituting said part of the rewinding means and being provided with an internal gear, a pinion fixed to the shaft beyond said handle end, a spur gear rotatably supported beyond said handle end and meshing with said pinion, said internal gear, spur gear and pinion constituting the means connecting said part to the shaft, and said cup member being slidably movable relative to the handle for moving said internal gear into meshing engagement with the spur gear for effecting the rapid rotation of the shaft relative to the rate of rotation of said cup member.
 3. A tool as in claim 1, said latching means comprising a hub fixed to a part of the shaft, said handle having a chamber in which said hub is rotatably mounted, a spring-projected detent slidably mounted in and yieldably urged radially outward of the hub, and said handle having a bore opening into said chamber for receiving said detent in one position of rotation of the hub for latching the hub and shaft nonrotatably to the handle.
 4. A tool as in claim 2, and spring means yieldably urging the cup member outwardly of said handle end for normally retaining said internal gear out of engagement with the spur gear.
 5. A tool as in claim 3, said manually actuated means comprising a release pin slidably mounted in said bore for displacing the detent inwardly of the hub and out of engagement with the bore for releasing the hub and shaft from latched engagement with the handle. 